A cure for diabetes could be sitting in our brains. Neural stem cells, extracted from rats via the nose, have been turned into pancreatic cells that can manufacture insulin to treat diabetes.

Beta cells in the pancreas produce insulin, which regulates glucose levels. People with diabetes either have type 1, in which native beta cells are destroyed by the immune system, or type 2, in which beta cells cannot produce enough insulin.

To replace lost or malfunctioning beta cells, Tomoko Kuwabara of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba Science City, Japan, and colleagues turned to neural stem cells in the brain.

Hey thanks for sharing that. My sister is a diabetic. She was diagnosed at 11 years old (she just turned 26). My family and I have been big participants with the JDRF for years in search of a cure. A few years back, before this stem cell madness got out of control and government regulated, a woman came to talk to the local chapter of JDRF. She was cured of diabetes because of stem cells as well. It was incredibly inspiring to hear this woman's story ..... it's just too bad that it was embryotic stem cells, and naturally this country can't wrap their heads around the positives of that. Only focusing on the negatives of it.

It's good to hear they're making advancements using other methods though! Thanks again for sharing.

redraider1014 saidHey thanks for sharing that. My sister is a diabetic. She was diagnosed at 11 years old (she just turned 26). My family and I have been big participants with the JDRF for years in search of a cure. A few years back, before this stem cell madness got out of control and government regulated, a woman came to talk to the local chapter of JDRF. She was cured of diabetes because of stem cells as well. It was incredibly inspiring to hear this woman's story ..... it's just too bad that it was embryotic stem cells, and naturally this country can't wrap their heads around the positives of that. Only focusing on the negatives of it.

It's good to hear they're making advancements using other methods though! Thanks again for sharing.

hairymusclejock saidAnd i love that i can find posts like these on RJ besides all our gay chatter

I wouldn't mind dating a masculine diabetic, but if I was going to date a feminine one I might as well just date a woman diabetic.

I am a type 1 diabetic since I was a kid. So far the only thing that comes close to a cure is a pancreas transplant or just transplanting the islet cells of the pancreas. Each choice has many problems and complications and is usually only for people with severe diabetic complications. Any news of a breakthrough is always welcome news, but we diabetics have heard this kind of news so often that after a while it hard not to take it with a grain of salt. But I still have hope that someday I will no longer take insulin, poke and test myself several times a day and even with insurance spend an enormous amount of money on the insulin and supplies as there are no generics for insulin dependent diabetics.